Pastor Joseph Dillon, was born in Fresno, CA and served in the Army from 1963 to 1966. Following his discharge from the service, he entered Pacific Lutheran University as a pre-law major and graduated in 1970 with a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and American History.
After working in business for a couple of years, Pastor Joe felt the call of God to the pastoral ministry and entered Luther Seminary in 1972. That same year he met Paula Gunovich in Tacoma; they were married the following year. The Dillons have two children: son, Ryan lives in Los Angelas and daughter, Chandra and her husband, Tom, live in Tacoma. Paula, a cardiac catheterization technologist, works at Phoenix Baptist Hospital. Pastor Joe and Paula enjoy their family, travel and hiking.
Ordained on August 10, 1976, Pastor Joe has served parishes in Anaconda and Billings, MT and Auburn, WA. From 1985 to 1988 he served as associate pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Auburn, WA; in 1988 he was called as the senior pastor of Messiah. They went through three building programs during his eighteen years.
Pastor Joe was installed as All Saints’ Senior Pastor in December of 2002. Soon after his installation, All Saints’ began Phase 2/3 of the building program. He and Paula enjoy All Saints and the Phoenix area - especially from October through May!
Email Pastor Dillon at: jdillon@allsaintsphoenix.org.
Pastor Shari Bernau was born in Brooklyn Park, MN, and in 1994 headed to college at Northern Arizona University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Spanish.
In 2000, she felt the call to pastoral ministry and went to Berkeley, CA to pursue a Master of Divinity at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. During her third year of seminary, Pastor Shari was married to James. At the conclusion of her classes, they searched for an internship site in a state where James’ company had offices, and ended up at Grace Lutheran Church in downtown Phoenix. During their time at Grace, Pastor Shari’s call to youth ministry was affirmed, and that is how she ended up interviewing at All Saints to work with youth and families.
On September 15, 2004, she began her work as the Director of Youth Ministries at All Saints, and then on February 5, 2005, she was Ordained into the Ministry of Word and Sacrament. As a result, her title changed to Pastor of Youth and Family Ministries. In this position, Pastor Shari does not work alone; there are many dedicated people who work together with her to discover the best ways to serve the needs of the youth at All Saints in their faith walk. Some of the programs that Pastor Shari oversees are Confirmation, Youth Organization and Junior Organization.
On April 9, 2006, Pastor Shari and James were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Anna Grace.
Email Shari Bernau at sbernau@allsaintsphoenix.org Back
Jerry has served as All Saints' Music Director since 1993. He supervises All Saints' entire music program, leads worship as organist/pianist/cantor, and directs our Sanctuary Choir, Handbell Choirs, RSF Youth Choir, Brass Ensemble, Woodwind/String Ensemble, and Guitar/Percussion Ensemble. He also plans hymns, songs and liturgy, schedules choirs, soloists and instrumentalists, writes music and works with the Worship Committee. Jerry is active in the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians and served four years as Region IV (Western US) President. When he's not busy with music, he does some cooking, spends time with the kids, and (not often enough) enjoys an occasional round of golf. Wife Karin works for Hospice of the Valley, ministering to patients by playing harp and singing, and the "heavenly" stories and music from this ministry have led to CDs featuring Karin and Jerry Gunderson (www.heavenlyharp.org). Karin also participates in music at All Saints as vocal soloist/cantor, Sanctuary Choir member, flutist and harpist. Daughter Joy is musically inclined - she performs regularly as a harpist and vocalist, plays flute and piano, and plans to study harp and church music at St. Olaf College. Son Ryan’s interests include sports and music; he plays piano and has a strong interest in music composition for movies, and he’s Dad’s favorite golf partner!
Jerry Gunderson, grew up in the rural Minnesota town of Hoffman, where his high school graduating class of 33 students was one of the "big classes"! Jerry earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Concordia College, Moorhead, MN, where he met and married a delightful and talented pastor's daughter from Montana. Jerry and Karin spent 10 years in Minneapolis, where they served Redeemer Lutheran Church as Music Directors.
Email Maestro Gunderson at: jgunderson@allsaintsphoenix.org. Back
Maritta Fink and her husband Jim moved to Phoenix from the Chicago area in 1995. Maritta became a member of All Saints in 1996 and joined the staff as receptionist/secretary in 1998.
In the Fall of 1994, with training from the Grand Canyon Synod and the support of pastors and church council, All Saints officially launched its senior ministry. Since then, intentional programming, fellowship, education and support for older adults has become an integral part of life at All Saints. A dedicated team of retirees help plan and facilitate such things as Friday Friendly luncheons, the weekly coffee house, bus trips, educational events and caring programs.
Maritta is grateful and truly blessed to be a part of the All Saints church family and to be employed in a position that is so rewarding.
Email Maritta at mfink@allsaintsphoenix.org Back
Bobbie Tomasek has been a member of All Saints since its beginning, joining with her parents while the congregation was worshipping in the Lookout Mountain school cafeteria. Since then, Bobbie has served on the Church Council, as an usher captain, and as Chair of the Sharing and Evangelism teams. In addition, she has taught Sunday School and headed up the annual Angel Tree project.
Bobbie has been on the staff since August, 2000, and after several “title” changes she is now known as Director of Faith Journeys, which reflects her role of teaching all people to grow in faith and nurture faith every day and every where. Her main responsibilities include designing, implementing and teaching intergenerational, age appropriate classes and events that help keep families moving forward in their faith journey. She also partners with other staff in leading and designing the New Member Discovery classes and everything that has to do with the home-church connection. In addition, she works with Rendy Horner in Sunday School preparing materials and training teachers.
Just for fun Bobbie also volunteers time to write the majority of the All Saints E-Devotions and lead exercise classes at All Saints twice a week.
Email Bobbie at btomasek@allsaintsphoenix.org Back
An Arizona native originally from Tucson, Rendy Horner moved to Phoenix with her husband Scott after they were married in 1990. They have two sons, Rich and Michael and the family is actively involved at All Saints. Rendy began working in the church nursery in Sept. 1994. In July of 1995 Rendy became the director of Vacation Bible School and in September of 1998 Rendy was asked to direct the Children's Ministries and has enjoyed helping both volunteers and kids find the love of Christ in one another and in the service to the church.
In 1999 All Saints began using the Rotational Sunday School model. It was a new concept and with the help of volunteers, Nancy O'Connor and Bobbie Tomasek, All Saints wrote their own Sunday School curriculum and now has a 6-year program. All Saints shares the curriculum with churches throughout Arizona and was 1 of 36 churches out of the 10,000 churches in the ELCA to be recognized with superior programming for children.
Children learn the stories while attending a 4-6 week rotation while partaking in hands-on workshops. A benefit of Rotational Sunday School is volunteers can serve the church during short blocks of time teaching workshops, or can serve all year as shepherds or preschool teachers.
Rendy "wears her heart and emotions on her sleeve" but this emotion comes from her heart and the love she has for Jesus Christ and the children who are learning the love of Christ by the teen, young adult and adult volunteers who embrace the children each week during Sunday School.
With the various summer programming, annual Advent workshops and mid-week programming for children, All Saints has something for both the young and the young at heart in Children’s Ministries. If you want to become involved…talk to Rendy and she’ll help you discover your gifts.
Email Rendy at rendyh@allsaintsphoenix.org Back
Carole Becker moved to Phoenix in 1978 with her three young children to escape the long winters in Buffalo, NY. Having grown up in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Carole later made the decision to become a member of the ELCA and found her way to All Saints in 1994.
Carole has served a 3-year term on the congregation council, previously served on the Mutual Ministry and Personnel Committees and has taught adult education classes at All Saints. Currently Carole volunteers as an assisting minister, communion assistant and lector. Having been trained as a grief support group facilitator by the New Song Center for Grieving Children, Carole facilitated adult support groups for that non-profit organization for several years and was also elected to its Board of Directors. Carole has facilitated adult grief support groups at All Saints in the spring and fall of each year for the past 7 years. With a passion for this “ministry of presence,” Carole also now volunteers as a “mentor mom” for the MOPS group at All Saints.
Retired from her position as an Assistant to the Bishop for the Grand Canyon Synod, Carole joined the staff at All Saints on a part-time basis in February, 2007, as Minister for Leadership and Program Support. In this capacity, Carole is responsible for small group development, teams with Pastor Joe in the area of adult Christian education, assists the pastors with visitation, recruits and trains lay worship leaders, and, as a Stephen Leader, serves as the staff liaison/referral coordinator for the Stephen Ministry team.
Being “Nana” to Andrew, MacKenzie, Jeremy and Daniel brings Carole much joy. Baxter, Carole’s 2-yr. old Peke-A-Poo puppy, helps to keep life in perspective.
Email Carole at cbecker@allsaintsphoenix.org Back
Gina King joined the staff of All Saints initially as a Communications Consultant in 2004 facilitating the Capital Appeal Campaign for the Building Program. In 2005, Gina’s role expanded beyond the building program to become the Director of Communications and Evangelism and was invited to officially join the staff in 2006. After an extended career in the technology field specializing in marketing, communications and technical education for companies including IBM, Gina felt called to utilize her expertise within the church. This would grow into a mission of intentional and proactive focus on God’s great commission to the church in Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,”.
Originally from Minnesota, Gina joined All Saints with her family in 1986. In July of that year she met her future husband Kerwin while playing on the All Saints Co-Ed Softball Team. The team came in second place in the league that year after a hard fought championship game between All Saints and Bethel Lutheran in which Gina broker her ankle while playing 3rd base, it was a memorable season! Gina and Kerwin (both life-long Lutherans) were married at All Saints in 1994 and have 1 son, Joshua Paul. The family enjoys quading and camping in the beautiful Arizona mountains whenever possible.
Gina directs the church’s evangelism, growth and hospitality efforts, church websites, overall marketing, advertising and other communications. Gina is one of the developers and leaders of the Discovery Program as well as a member of the Building Team. In addition to these activities, Gina also enjoys participating in music ministries at All Saints and co-Directing the annual Arts Camp summer program for kids and teens which began in 1994.
Email Gina at ginaking@allsaintsphoenix.org Back
Shari Clark, has been with All Saints since August 1990 and is responsible for the day-to-day office operations and assisting the pastors and program staff. She doesn’t write sermons, make pastoral calls, counsel members, plan or perform music, oversee Christian education or other programs. However, just about everything else that is part of running a church is somehow connected to her job including working at home. Some of the major responsibility she has is supervising the secretary, receptionists, and janitors as well as the office volunteers. Shari also maintains the membership and contributions data base and working with our contracted accountant. She assists with the Property Committee and sees that needed repairs are done on the lights, plumbing, air conditioning, elevators and anything else.
Shari grew up in a Christian home. Born in Phoenix, but raised in California. Her mother was the Education Director in a Methodist church for many years and later became a Diaconal Minister. She has been married to Perry since 1982, and they have two boys, Rob and Eric.
Email Shari Clark at: sharic@allsaintsphoenix.org. Back
Christy Wirsig creates the weekly and monthly publications of the parish and works beside Shari, Bonnie, and Teresa in all of the day-to-day office activities.
A busy mother of four to Samantha, Skyler, Sierra and Sydney, Christy says that the All Saints Office "is where I actually get to spend time in one place"!! All of the kids have their own interests, so Mom's Taxi is always running! Born and raised in the Show Me State, Christy has been married to Mike since 1984. They have made Arizona their home since 1992.
Members of All Saints since May 1999, Christy & Mike are on the Confirmation Team serving as a Teacher and Shepherd. When she has time, Christy enjoys scrapbooking, stamping and crafts of all kinds. Most of all, she treasures opportunities to travel and spend time with her family.
Email Christy Wirsig at: cwirsig@allsaintsphoenix.org. Back
“We don’t just sit here and answer the phone,” laughs Teresa Lyster, one of two part-time employees who share the Administrative Assistant position. Their duties, between phone calls, include recording the worship attendance, folding weekly bulletins and miscellaneous publications, helping Christy Wirsig, print church publications, and assisting Parish Administrator, Shari Clark, with various tasks. They’re available to help other staff as well.
Teresa was 13 when her family moved here from her native Kansas. Teresa met her husband, Jeff, on a blind date while attending NAU. They married in 1993. Teresa and Jeff started attending All Saints when they moved back to Arizona from California in 1996. They joined in 1999. Teresa’s mother and twin sister also live in Phoenix, as do Jeff’s mother. The couple have three children, Blake, Elli, and Brandt.
Email Teresa at tyster@allsaintsphoenix.org Back
Bonnie Kain is our other part-time Administrative Assistant. She has lived in Phoenix since 1964, when she moved here with her two year old son, Joel, following a divorce. The Ohio native was raised and baptized a Lutheran, so she joined Ascension Lutheran Church which was near her first home. When she later purchased her home on Union Hills Drive (“it was the edge of town then!”) she also found All Saints, then located on Bell Road.
After working for 31 years with the Arizona branch of a national firm negotiating sales between manufacturers and electric utilities, she retired. Bonnie started volunteering at church and then signed on as receptionist. After a year, she “quit” to enjoy retirement and travel. Her son treated her to a trip to Hawaii. Later, when asked to come back, she agreed to part-time. “Being here gives me a little time to be in the adult world & get to know people.” Her son, Joel, and his wife, Marla are also members. Bonnie schedules the volunteers for worship, does record keeping of church members & assists all staff.
Email Bonnie at bkain@allsaintsphoenix.org
